[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4867-S4868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5510. Mr. SHELBY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle F of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1276. CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY.

       (a) Establishment and Operation of Center.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 7 of title 10, United States Code, 
     is amended by inserting after section 182 the following new 
     section:

     ``SEC. 182A. CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense may operate 
     a Center for Excellence in Environmental Security (in this 
     section referred to as the `Center').
       ``(b) Missions.--(1) The Center shall be used to provide 
     and facilitate education, training, and research in civil-
     military operations, particularly operations that require 
     international assistance and operations that require 
     coordination between the Department of Defense and other 
     agencies.
       ``(2) The Center shall be used to provide and facilitate 
     education, training, interagency coordination, and research 
     on the following additional matters:
       ``(A) Management of the consequences of environmental 
     insecurity with respect to--

[[Page S4868]]

       ``(i) access to water, food, and energy;
       ``(ii) related health matters; and
       ``(iii) matters relating to when, how, and why 
     environmental stresses to human safety, health, water, 
     energy, and food will cascade to economic, social, political, 
     or national security events.
       ``(B) Appropriate roles for the reserve components in 
     response to environmental insecurity resulting from natural 
     disasters.
       ``(C) Meeting requirements for information in connection 
     with regional and global disasters, including the use of 
     advanced communications technology as a virtual library.
       ``(3) The Center shall be granted access to the data, 
     archives, talent and physical capability of all Federal 
     agencies to enable the development of global environmental 
     indicators.
       ``(4) The Center shall perform such other missions as the 
     Secretary of Defense may specify.
       ``(c) Joint Operation With Educational Institution 
     Authorized.--The Secretary of Defense may enter into an 
     agreement with appropriate officials of an institution of 
     higher education to provide for operation of the Center. Any 
     such agreement shall provide for the institution to furnish 
     necessary administrative services for the Center, including 
     administration and allocation of funds.
       ``(d) Acceptance of Donations.--
       ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary of 
     Defense may accept, on behalf of the Center, donations to be 
     used to defray the costs of the Center or to enhance the 
     operation of the Center. Such donations may be accepted from 
     any agency of the Federal Government, any State or local 
     government, any foreign government, any foundation or other 
     charitable organization (including any that is organized or 
     operates under the laws of a foreign country), or any other 
     private source in the United States or a foreign country.
       ``(2) The Secretary may not accept a donation under 
     paragraph (1) if the acceptance of the donation would 
     compromise or appear to compromise--
       ``(A) the ability of the Department of Defense, any 
     employee of the Department, or members of the armed forces, 
     to carry out any responsibility or duty of the Department in 
     a fair and objective manner; or
       ``(B) the integrity of any program of the Department of 
     Defense or of any person involved in such a program.
       ``(3) The Secretary shall prescribe written guidance 
     setting forth the criteria to be used in determining whether 
     or not the acceptance of a foreign donation would have a 
     result described in paragraph (2).
       ``(4) Funds accepted by the Secretary under paragraph (1) 
     as a donation on behalf of the Center shall be credited to 
     appropriations available to the Department of Defense for the 
     Center. Funds so credited shall be merged with the 
     appropriations to which credited and shall be available for 
     the Center for the same purposes and the same period as the 
     appropriations with which merged.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 182 the following new item:

``182a. Center for Excellence in Environmental Security''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amount 
     authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense 
     for research and operation and maintenance, Defense-wide, the 
     following shall be available for the operation of the Center 
     for Excellence in Environmental Security established under 
     section 182a of title 10, United States Code, as added by 
     subsection (a):
       (1) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.
       (2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.
       (3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
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